Our lab studies auditory impairment on the molecular level. We aim to identify genetic components of the mechanotransduction machinery of hair cells, as well as the mechanisms by which these proteins are regulated, in order to gain a better understanding of the genetic causes of auditory impairment. A second emphasis for our lab is the analysis of the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of neural stem cells during the development of the neocortex, a high-functioning structure of the brain unique to mammals that is involved in sensory perception, cognition, and language. Our research narrows in on the genes that cause severe brain abnormalities, such as the birth defects of microcephaly and lissencephaly, as well as those linked to neurological and psychiatric disorders.